You can set system-wide properties programmatically (as a
command-line option to the JVM when starting the application or within
application code) or in the text file derby.properties.
Changing the system-wide properties programmatically
You can set properties programmatically -- either in application code before booting the Derby driver or as a command-line option to the Java Virtual Machine (JVM) when booting the application that starts up Derby.
Verifying system properties
You can find out the value of a system property if you set it programmatically. You cannot find out the value of a system property if you set it in the derby.properties file.